Measure to ease college tuition rules OK’d by House

The Illinois House today approved a measure 66-43 that would extend tuition freezes for an additional two years. It now goes to Gov. Pat Quinn's desk.

Matt Hopf

College students may get a break if their studies mean they stay in school for more than four years.

The Illinois House today approved a measure 66-43 that would extend tuition freezes for an additional two years. It now goes to Gov. Pat Quinn's desk.

The catch is students who need the additional two years will receive the tuition increase imposed to the class that started the following year. So if tuition goes up 5 percent for the following year's class, students would pay that 5 percent increase in those extra years.

Senate Bill 3222 is an extension of the Truth in Tuition Act signed into law in 2003. Under the law, students lock tuition in for the four years of college. If students need more time to complete their degree, they are hit with all tuition increases over the four years.

The measure now heads to the governor.

"This bill will make the fifth year of college - which is becoming the norm - affordable for students and let them know what they will be charged up front, instead of getting a nasty sticker shock their fifth year when the four-year Truth in Tuition program runs out," said Sen. Martin Sandoval, D-Chicago, in a statement after the measure passed the Senate in March.

The measure and the Truth in Tuition law itself do not apply to room and board or student fee increases.

Opponents of the bill say it would just continue to increase tuition rates in the state.

"What it's done is it encouraged the universities to raise their rates every single year so that they can cover the four-year supposed costs or increase," said Rep. Rosemary Mulligan, R-Des Plaines. "So it's a bad bill to begin with and I don't think this makes it any better."

Rep. Dan Burke, D-Chicago, said it would help students who need to take remedial classes, which would extend their undergraduate programs.

"Are we here going to punish those individuals for an education system that has underserved their needs?" asked Burke, the House sponsor. "I would hope the answer is no."